Westwood board holds team-building retreat, adopts 'Westwood Wisdom' principles

The Westwood Community School District Board of Education held a team-building retreat led by Michigan Association of School Boards facilitator Deborah Macon on April 25, 2026, at the Equilla Bradford Administrative Center. President Cheryl Bell called the session to order at 9:47 a.m.; attendees included Vice President Timothy Emery, Secretary Sarah Ward and Trustee Angela Hopkins. The session ran through exercises and concluded with adjournment at 1:31 p.m.

Macon guided the group through activities intended to strengthen working relationships and help officers adjust to new roles. She led the board in a set of governance principles the group labeled “Westwood Wisdom,” and recorded items including “Everyone can lead,” “Teaming Counts,” and “It’s Safe to Speak Your Mind.” Macon said the board’s approach to psychological safety stood out: "Ms. Macon noted this is not the case with other Boards where she has interacted with the governance team." The retreat also included a short-book exercise in which participants chose one-word takeaways—examples recorded were “courage,” “creativity,” “resilience,” and “collaboration.”